The 1857 revolt in Rajasthan

At a glance

1. 1AGG in 1857: George Patrick Lawrence, with Lord Canning as Governor-General.
2. 2Six cantonments: Nasirabad, Neemuch, Deoli, Beawar, Erinpura and Kherwara, with no European soldier in any of them. Neemuch is in Madhya Pradesh today.
3. 3Most rulers helped the British; the revolt was carried by soldiers, nobles and ordinary people.

Centres of the revolt

• NasirabadFirst in RajasthanDate28 May 1857Who roseThe 15th Bengal Native Infantry, moved there from AjmerWhat happenedThe rebels took the cantonment and left for Delhi
• NeemuchOath refusedDate3 June 1857Who roseThe cantonment's soldiers; on 2 June Colonel Abbott had made them swear loyaltyWhat happenedCavalryman Mohammad Ali Beg defied the oath; the rebels burned the cantonment and left for Delhi. Captain Showers, with Kota, Bundi and Mewar troops, retook Neemuch on 8 June
• Deoli and TonkArmy defied NawabWho roseThe Neemuch rebels at Deoli; at Tonk, the Nawab's army under Mir Alam KhanWhat happenedDeoli cantonment was burned. Tonk's army sided with the rebels against its pro-British Nawab, took its arrears of pay and marched for Delhi
• BharatpurPrincely army roseDate1857, after the rising at MathuraWho roseThe state's army, with Gurjar and Meo peopleWhat happenedPolitical Agent Major Morrison left Bharatpur on the Maharaja's advice
• ErinpuraDelhi-bound cryDate21 August 1857Who roseThe Jodhpur LegionWhat happenedLegion troops attacked the British at Mount Abu; the rebels looted Erinpura and set out for Delhi crying "Chalo Delhi, maro firangi", but stopped at Auwa
• AuwaThakur's revoltDateSeptember 1857 to January 1858Who roseThakur Kushal Singh, with the Erinpura rebelsWhat happenedJodhpur's army and AGG Lawrence's force were beaten; the fort fell to the British in January 1858Full notes →
• KotaResidency attackedDate15 October 1857 to March 1858Who roseTwo battalions of the Maharao's army, led by Risaldar Mehrab Khan and Lala JaidayalWhat happenedMajor Burton and his two sons were killed. The rebels held Kota for about six months (five in RBSE Class 12); Karauli's troops helped the Maharao, and General Roberts retook the city in March 1858. Mehrab Khan and Jaidayal were hanged (RBSE Class 9: Jaidayal was blown from a cannon)
• DholpurGwalior-Indore rebelsDateOctober 1857Who roseRebel soldiers from Gwalior and Indore, joined by much of the state's armyWhat happenedOrder was restored in December 1857 with the help of Patiala troops

Rulers and British agents, 1857

Rulers and nobles

• Bikaner: Maharaja Sardar Singh was the only ruler of Rajputana who led his own army out of his state, into British territory, to help the British.
• Mewar: Maharana Swarup Singh sent his army to help the British.
• Nobles who helped the rebels: Rawat Kesari Singh of Salumbar and Rawat Jodh Singh of Kotharia (Jyot Singh in RBSE Class 9), both in Mewar; many Marwar and Mewar thakurs were sympathetic.

Tantia Tope in Rajasthan

• After his defeat at Gwalior in 1858 he came to Rajasthan, where the army of Tonk joined him and the Rawat of Salumbar helped him.
• In August 1858 the British beat him on the banks of the Banas; he then took Jhalrapatan. In December 1858 he took Banswara.
• At Gwalior in 1858, Amarchand Banthiya, a merchant born in Bikaner, gave money to the rebel army of Lakshmibai and Tantia Tope; the British hanged him.
• Man Singh, jagirdar of Narwar, betrayed him to the British; he was hanged on 18 April 1859 at Sipri (now Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh).

Why it failed, and what followed

• Failure: no common leader or plan, and revolts at different places and times.
• Rewards: loyal rulers were given titles and rewards.
• Nobles: since many jagirdars had fought against them, the British set out to break the power of the jagirdar class.

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